Lawrence Wong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lawrence Wong
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黄循财
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Wong in 2025
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| 4th Prime Minister of Singapore | |||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 15 May 2024 |
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| President | Tharman Shanmugaratnam | ||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Gan Kim Yong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Lee Hsien Loong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Finance | |||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 15 May 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong Himself |
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| Preceded by | Heng Swee Keat | ||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary-General of the People's Action Party | |||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 4 December 2024 |
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| Chairman | Heng Swee Keat | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Lee Hsien Loong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 13 June 2022 – 14 May 2024 Serving with Heng Swee Keat
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| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Tharman Shanmugaratnam Teo Chee Hean |
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| Succeeded by | Gan Kim Yong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 8 July 2023 – 14 May 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Tharman Shanmugaratnam | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Gan Kim Yong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Education | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 27 July 2020 – 14 May 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Ong Ye Kung | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Chan Chun Sing | ||||||||||||||||||
| Second Minister for Finance | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 22 August 2016 – 14 May 2021 Serving with Indranee Rajah (from 2018)
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| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Lim Hwee Hua (2011) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Chee Hong Tat (2024) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for National Development | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1 October 2015 – 26 July 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Khaw Boon Wan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Desmond Lee | ||||||||||||||||||
| Second Minister for Communications and Information | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1 May 2014 – 30 September 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Vacant | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Vacant | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Culture, Community and Youth | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1 May 2014 – 30 September 2015 Acting: 1 November 2012 – 30 April 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Chan Chun Sing (Acting Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Grace Fu | ||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the Singapore Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC |
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| Assumed office 11 September 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established | ||||||||||||||||||
| Majority |
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| Member of the Singapore Parliament for West Coast GRC |
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| In office 7 May 2011 – 24 August 2015 |
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| Preceded by | PAP held | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | PAP held | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai
18 December 1972 Singapore |
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| Political party | People's Action Party | ||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Loo Tze Lui | ||||||||||||||||||
| Education | |||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
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| Profession | Economist | ||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  |
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 黄循财 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 黃循財 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai (born 18 December 1972) is a leading politician, economist, and former public servant from Singapore. He became the fourth and current Prime Minister of Singapore in May 2024. He has also been the Minister for Finance since 2021.
Wong is a member of the People's Action Party (PAP), Singapore's ruling political party. He has served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Limbang division of Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC since 2015. Before that, he represented the Boon Lay division of West Coast GRC from 2011 to 2015.
Before starting his political career, Wong worked in various government ministries. These included the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF). He also served as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Energy Market Authority (EMA). Wong first entered politics in the 2011 general election.
He played a key role as co-chair of a special government committee. This committee was set up in January 2020 to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore. As Minister for Finance, he oversaw changes to Singapore's Goods and Services Tax (GST). This tax increased gradually from 7% to 8% in 2023 and then to 9% in 2024. In April 2022, he was chosen to lead the PAP's next generation of leaders. This made him the likely successor to the previous Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong. Wong became Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore in June 2022. He was also appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the PAP in November 2022.
Wong was the Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) from 2023 to 2024. He also chaired the Investment Strategies Committee of GIC and the International Advisory Council (IAC) of the Economic Development Board (EDB). On 15 May 2024, Wong was sworn in as Prime Minister. He is the first Prime Minister of Singapore to be born after Singapore gained independence in 1965. In December 2024, he was elected as the Secretary-General of the People's Action Party. He led the PAP to victory in the 2025 general election, winning more votes. As Prime Minister, Wong is known for having one of the highest salaries among world leaders.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Early Life and Education
Lawrence Wong was born on 18 December 1972, in the eastern part of Singapore. His family is of Hainanese background. He grew up in a public housing flat in Marine Parade. His father, who was born in Hainan, worked as a sales executive. His mother was a teacher at his primary school. When he was a child, his father gave him a guitar, which sparked his love for music.
Wong attended Haig Boys' Primary School and Tanjong Katong Technical School. He then went to Victoria Junior College. After that, he studied in the United States. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1994. He received a scholarship from the Public Service Commission. In 1995, he earned a Master of Arts in applied economics from the University of Michigan. Later, in 2004, he completed a Master in Public Administration at Harvard University.
Career in Public Service
Wong started his career as an economist in the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in August 1997. This was during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. His first job was to write a report on how regional economies affected Singapore. He said that nothing he learned in school prepared him for this task. He had to learn a lot while on the job.
In January 2002, Wong moved to the Ministry of Finance (MOF). Then, in July 2004, he joined the Ministry of Health (MOH). There, he was the Director of Healthcare Finance until May 2005. From May 2005 to August 2008, Wong served as the main private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
In September 2008, Wong became the deputy chief executive officer of the Energy Market Authority. He was promoted to chief executive officer on 1 January 2009. He left this role on 1 April 2011, to enter politics.
Political Journey
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Wong began his political career in the 2011 general election. He was part of a five-member team from the People's Action Party (PAP) in West Coast GRC. His team won with 66.66% of the votes. This made him a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Boon Lay ward.
Early Ministerial Roles
On 21 May 2011, Wong was appointed Minister of State for Defence and Minister of State for Education. He also joined the board of directors of the Monetary Authority of Singapore in June 2011. In August 2012, he was promoted to Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts and Senior Minister of State for Education. In November 2012, he became the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.
Wong led a team that successfully bid for the Singapore Botanic Gardens to become Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. He also started a policy that allowed all Singaporeans and permanent residents to enter national museums and heritage places for free. In 2013, he announced a new S$100 million National Youth Fund. This fund helps young people support community and social causes.
Becoming a Full Minister
On 1 May 2014, Wong was promoted to Minister for Culture, Community and Youth. He also became Second Minister for Communications and Information. He was involved in planning Singapore's Golden Jubilee Year celebrations.
As Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Wong helped transform the Civic District. This area is important to Singapore's history. He also introduced the S$200 million Cultural Matching Fund. This fund helps arts and heritage charities by matching donations they receive.
In the 2015 general election, Wong's team won in the new Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC. He became the MP for the Limbang ward. Wong also chaired the committee for the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. He launched "ActiveSG," a national movement to encourage sports. It gave Singaporeans and permanent residents S$100 to join sports programs and use sports facilities.
On 1 October 2015, Wong became the Minister for National Development. He was also appointed Second Minister for Finance in August 2016.
Leading During COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Wong and Gan Kim Yong co-chaired a special government committee. This committee was formed in January 2020 to manage the pandemic. In March 2020, Wong became emotional in Parliament while thanking frontline workers. He thanked healthcare workers and those in cleaning, transport, and security for their hard work.
In the 2020 general election, Wong's team won in Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC again. He kept his seat as MP for Limbang ward. In July 2020, he became Minister for Education. In November 2020, he was elected to the PAP's Central Executive Committee.
In May 2021, Wong became Minister for Finance. In February 2022, he announced that Singapore's Goods and Services Tax (GST) would increase. It went from 7% to 8% in 2023 and then to 9% in 2024. He also announced financial support packages to help Singaporeans with rising living costs.
Becoming Deputy Prime Minister
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On 14 April 2022, Lawrence Wong was chosen to lead the PAP's next generation of leaders. This made him the likely successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Other ministers supported his selection.
On 6 June 2022, Wong was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister. This further confirmed his position as the next leader. He also became "Acting Prime Minister" when Lee Hsien Loong was away. In June 2022, Wong launched the "Forward Singapore" movement. This initiative aims to build a society that benefits everyone.
Prime Minister (2024–Present)
Wong became the clear successor to Lee Hsien Loong as Prime Minister. On 15 April 2024, it was officially announced that he would take over.
Wong was sworn in as Singapore's fourth Prime Minister on 15 May 2024. He is the first Prime Minister born after Singapore gained independence in 1965.
In his first speech as Prime Minister, Wong promised to serve Singaporeans with all his heart. He said his mission was to keep Singapore successful and "defy the odds." On 4 December 2024, he was elected as the Secretary-General of the People's Action Party.
International Engagements
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Wong made his first overseas visits as Prime Minister in June 2024. He visited Brunei and Malaysia. He also attended his first ASEAN Meeting, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, APEC, and G20 Meetings in late 2024.
2025 General Election
Wong led the PAP in the 2025 general election in May. This was his first general election as Prime Minister. The PAP won a large majority of seats, securing 65.57% of the votes. In his own constituency, Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC, Wong and his team won with 73.46% of the votes. He then announced his new cabinet on May 21.
Personal Life
Lawrence Wong was previously married at age 28. He divorced his first wife after three years due to differences. His second wife is Loo Tze Lui, a former banker who now works in wealth management. She also served on the board of directors of YMCA Singapore. Wong does not have children. He is a Methodist Christian. His older brother is an aerospace engineer. Wong enjoys playing the guitar and riding motorcycles.
See also
In Spanish: Lawrence Wong para niños
